Detective Miyuki!
by Rubedo Kukai Jr
Summary: So many mysteries are flying throughout the world of Xenosaga, so there's only one person to do the job! It's Miyuki Itsumi, private investigator as well as expert inventor to crack those cases and find out what's really going on!
1. Death of a Child

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Xenosaga. I merely shape its ideas and use its characters to create a story.**

**First Case: Death of a Child**

"Man! When am I ever going to get a case to solve? A burglary, a murder, a missing whale anything!" A young girl slams a book down onto her desk forcefully and dust starts flying everywhere. The girl coughs and quickly opens a window to let some air in. "It's so boring around here without the excitement and thrill of a case! How am I supposed to earn money to pay for this rundown shack? I need to clean this filthy place up else someone will be investigating MY death!" She turns to the mirror and notices someone there.

Hello! It's nice to meet you. My name's Miyuki Itsumi and I am a detective of my own agency: Miyuki's Wonder Solver! I used to work for Vector Industries but when I learned that they were going to make E.S. into fashion models, I couldn't take it anymore! That's when I decided to go out on my own and use any of my inventions that work to solve mysteries which had been showing up quite often recently in the latest U.M.N news! I have no idea why but I know that it's up to me to solve the unexplainable!

However…the only bad thing about solving mysteries is actually getting cases to solve. I put up all sorts of flyers yesterday all over town as well as the U.M.N to try and spread the news of my agency but it looks like they didn't work. Maybe I should've actually use digital enhancements instead of penciled work…I thought it would be original and attract people. But I guess my deductions were wrong. Blasted crayons!

I was about to go read one of my favorite mystery books when I heard someone knocking on the door. A case maybe? Yes! It has to be! The person collecting rent was here yesterday so who else could it be? I quickly got into my detective clothes and started smoking from a bubble pipe. I went to the door and opened it. To my surprise, a cute little girl with orange hair was crying and sniffling outside. She looked really bad.

"What's wrong?" I put my arms on her shoulders to calm her down.

"My bro…broth…brother…he's not…waking up…"

A murder? No way! Here comes the scent of mysteries and money! Green frogs and trees! Sorry, I should be a little more serious that her brother might have died. May we all have a moment of silence…

"Can you take me to him?"

"Yes…"

I grabbed my coat and we were off. We walked down to the church at the end of my street and entered. I saw the body of her dead brother on the altar. The picture before me seemed strange because it looked like a religious sacrifice…or at least something to that effect. But I wonder why she went to me? I saw three people standing beside her: one was a man with a somewhat purplish hawk-styled hair in monk clothes, a short blonde-haired woman who was dressed in a designer's outfit, a bit odd I might add, and lastly, a man with jet black hair who I assumed was a priest due to his robes. See? I've got excellent eyes!

"Detective Miyuki, right?" asked the jet-blacked hair man. "My name is Jin…Jin Uzuki. I am a priest of this church and I was the one who sent Nephilim for you to investigate on the death of Abel, her brother."

"I see," I answered, making sure to take notes of anything suspicious out of these three characters. Most likely, one of these three killed Nephilim's brother. Firstly, there weren't any people nearby. I'm pretty sure cops would've been here if it was during a church procession. Plus people are bound to curiosity of situations like these so they would stay to find out what was going on.

"Do you have the time when he died?" I walked around the body and pulled out my notebook to take down details. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. No misplaced objects, everything seemed to be in the right place, the entire room was devoid of blood which the kid was in a pool in…which was quite odd. I kept that detail in mind as I examined the body for anything suspicious.

"I cannot say for certain…I believe he was killed about 15 minutes ago," Jin recalled. "I was in the prayer room meditating when I heard his cries for help…I noticed that he was coughing up a lot of blood into his hands…so I put him on the altar and left to get a couple of med kits from the first aid kit. However, when I returned, it was too late…"

So he bled to death…but there was still something off. I could sense it. I just couldn't figure out what. "So where were the two of you…and why was he here?" I indicated to the purple-haired man and the blonde woman.

"I was up in the choir loft cleaning up some books. When I heard his screaming, I rushed to help but fell down the stairs…" The purple-haired man admitted. "But I do know that he was here to get a small treat from Ms. Pellegri here. It's become a sort of a daily routine for both of them."

I jotted that information down and took a look at the purple-haired man. His scar seemed to make me think that he had been in a couple of fights or two…gang fights maybe…but hard to believe he was actually working in a church…or so I guessed. Not that I didn't say it was possible…I just thought it was strange for someone like him. "And you are…?"

"I am Margulis, a deacon that works alongside with Jin here."

I turned to the woman. "And Ms. Pellegri…what about you?"

"I work here as a lector. I was at the restroom by the entrance when I heard Abel's screaming of pain." Ms. Pellegri choked. I could tell that Abel's death affected her greatly.

"Then how did he get the candy?"

"I…left it out on the altar." She suddenly burst out in tears and they started to flow down her cheeks. I could tell that she tried her best to remain strong. She ran into Margulis' arms and proceeded to cry on his chest. Margulis tried his best to comfort her while Jin moved over to the body to perform some kind of ritual.

Hm…so if I've got the facts down straight…Abel and Nephilim came here everyday to get candy from Ms. Pellegri. But today was different seeing that he died. The priest Jin Uzuki and deacon Margulis were preparing for a church session while Ms. Pellegri set up for the procession and then went to the bathroom. Before that, she left his sweet on the altar. Abel must've come during this time to get his usual candy but instead of getting a delicious sweet...if Ms. Pellegri was in the bathroom when Abel died, then it was possible to rule her out. Plus the death seemed to affect her a lot. However, seeing that there were no wounds in his body, it must've been poison…but from whom? This meant that I couldn't rule her out just yet. It could all just be an act. I pulled out my analyzer and did a full analysis of the body.

My suspicions were confirmed about the poison. I didn't want to jump to conclusions just yet but I had my suspicions on which person the killer was. I still needed a little more information…

"So…what do you usually do when you set up for the church procession?" I asked nonchalantly.

Jin took a seat. "I usually make sure that everything's in the right place. I make sure that the Eucharist is stocked up so that we have enough for the entire day. I check to see if we have the right materials and I also switch out the holy water so that it doesn't become dirty."

I jotted this down while Ms. Pellegri explained what she did. "Well, I check all the rows to make sure we all have the right materials. Sometimes, I place a book holder on the altar so that the priest can read from it easier. Other than that, I practice saying the readings from up there." She pointed at the podium and the book was open. I went over to the microphone and tapped it. It made the echo noise when it was on. It wasn't an alibi...seeing that it would only take about 5 minutes to actually turn on the sound system as well as open a book.

"So, what did you read?"

"Some things from Genesis, Paul, and the Gospel of Mark." She replied, sounding a bit more relaxed after crying. I took a quick glance at the book and turns out she was right. She must've read this before she went to the bathroom. I then looked at Margulis.

"What about you?" I asked.

"I set up the chalices and wine bottles for the gifts. The gifts are down on that table near the entrance of the rows while the chalices, glasses, and bowls are over there by the altar. We usually set them up before church and put them away after church so people don't steal it."

I turned to see the gifts placed near the altar. There was a wine glass next to Abel's body and it still had some wine left inside. Abel might have drunken from the wine glass and gotten the poison from there…Margulis could've just left it there and went up to the choir loft to make sure that he wasn't near Abel when he died to rule him out as a suspect. Pretty smart. I analyzed the wine bottle and it came up with poison. But it was missing something. Something very specific that leads me straight to the killer.

The pieces were all starting to align bringing clarity to the fogged up glass picture. I know who killed Abel. And if I'm right, the evidence should still be there. I think I also know why they did as well. It's about time to bust this case! My inventions always show me the truth!


	2. Vessels of Anima

**Recap from Miyuki!**

Heyas! It's Miyuki here to remind you about the unforeseen death of Abel, the brother of my client, his little sister Nephilim! So far, I've learned that poison was used to kill him but from whom? Since he got candy from one of the suspects regularly from a church and a poisoned drink was found nearby without a certain something that all drinks will get, the killer has unknowingly revealed themselves as…

**Second Case: Vessels of Anima**

I sat down and then took out my bubble pipe. I blew bubbles and then started to pop them as they came out. "This case is cracked."

"Really?" Pellegri asked. She looked at me with pleading eyes. "Please tell me…who killed him?"

I lowered my hat and then raised a finger. It pointed to…Jin Uzuki.

"Me?" Jin stammered. "But I wasn't even near him when he died!"

"Of course not. Because you poisoned him with something that most people wouldn't even realize to use as a murder weapon. You've used the power of God for an evil purpose."

Both Pellegri and Margulis look at Jin in a new light with surprise in their eyes.

"In this case, most people would've thought that the food was poisoned when they found the poison inside his body. Since the poison didn't affect him until he ate all of it, there would've been no evidence to prove that you were the killer, even with the residues of chocolate on the wrapper. You would've gotten away with it and Ms. Pellegri or Margulis would probably be arrested."

Pellegri starts to object to my conclusion but Margulis stops her by wrapping his arms around her. "I think…she's telling the truth. You can trust her Pellegri." She stopped fussing after that and started to listen.

I stood up and continued going on with my deductions. "However…since I was immediately called over here, the evidence is still there."

Jin's eyes grow wide, his method of killing Abel revealed.

I pointed to the bowl at the entrance of the church. "You poisoned…the holy water right by the entrance." I paused to let it sink in and then quickly gave a concrete supposition to back up my accusation. "You know how people always enter churches…they always dip their fingers into the bowl to do the sign of the cross, an act of reverence to God. It was then only a matter of time for him to die when he ate that candy Ms. Pellegri left behind. You must've created a poison that reacted to the chocolate."

"But he called for you! Why would he call you to bust his case?" Margulis wondered.

I easily replied, "He thought he could get away by being the one who called for me as well as poison a drink, but that drink is missing something vital for Margulis to be pointed out to be the killer…saliva from the victim."

"Really, Jin?" Pellegri said, trying not to believe me. She made a move towards Jin but then stopped. The moment she looked into Jin's eyes, she knew. "How could you? I thought you loved kids…"

Margulis ran up to Jin and lifted him by the shirt with relative ease. His words were filled with rage. "How could you do such a despicable thing, Uzuki?! You killed an innocent child as well as make a woman cry! How dare you call yourself a priest?"

Jin laughs evilly. "That child isn't innocent as you may think…he is cursed."

"What do you mean?" I asked, putting away my bubble pipe. I tried not to dismiss this as insanity. I mean a psychopath priest? It just doesn't fit well with me.

"He was a Vessel of Anima…" The words seemed to confuse the three of us. In that moment, Jin used our moment of confusion to break away from Margulis' grip and grab Nephilim. He runs a little further and wraps his arm forcefully around her neck. He turns around to see us chase after him but we froze when we saw Nephilim in his hold. "Don't move!"

The three of us stood still as statues. Never mind what I said earlier, this guy is psycho!

"I was hoping that Abel would share his chocolate with this girl so she would die from the poison as well…but she didn't…so I guess I could kill her right now. It doesn't matter…as long as these cursed children die…I could really care less what happens to me." He started to tighten his grip around Nephilim causing her to faint. I could see that she didn't have much time left if he kept tightening his hold

"So you really don't care about being arrested by the police or being put in jail forever?" I asked. I secretly removed one of my inventions that I had just created…the Miyuki Bust a Crook VPX 7000. Don't mind the model number, it's just for looks! It looks like a pen at first, but when you click the pen, it activates a stun ray that can stun anyone so long as you hold the clicky button as well as manage a good connection with the target…which means if something comes between you and the target, it won't work.

"Jin…please…" Pellegri pleaded. "Don't kill another child…"

Jin's eyes slowly turned to Pellegri and then back to Nephilim. It looked like as if he was deciding whether he would kill her or not. I quickly took the chance and activated the pen. I hit his arm and Nephilim dropped to the floor with a soft thud. Margulis ran forward and tackled Jin. I quickly let go of the weapon and went over to Nephilim to check her pulse.

It seemed like she was barely holding on to life. It looks like it's time for another of Miyuki's super invention! Time for the Miyuki Special! I raised my arm up into the air and it materialized onto it. It looks like a huge box but it has a lot of weapons installed…I shouldn't mention any of it or else I will be seen as a terrorist. I slowly moved my Special right above Nephilim's chest and extended the lightning rods. I quickly adjusted the lightning capacity to a low output. It should be enough to jump start her heart without overkilling it.

The sounds of struggle between Jin and Margulis were clearly evident as I breathed deeply to calm myself. I tried to not let their fight distract me. I released the electrical surge and Nephilim's body started to shake violently. She then started to breathe again, slowly but surely.

"Thank goodness…" Pellegri breathed a huge sigh of relief. She looked past me at the fight that was still ensuing. "Now about those two…"

To my surprise, Jin and Margulis were still at it, neither being able to get the best of the other. They had a few bruises here and there but nothing life threatening. I should probably use my Bustie, the pen. All my inventions have nicknames…they're like my babies!

"Margulis, get back!" I fired the pen and got Jin. I turned to Pellegri. "Go call the police and tell them about this!"

Pellegri whipped out her communicator and told the police to come to where we were. Margulis took a seat and held his wounds. Pellegri sat next to him and tried her best to ease the pain. I thought that this was the main reason Jin killed Abel…to make Pellegri feel pain for not liking him or make her like him or something like that. But seeing that he was a priest…they can't get married much less have an affair with a woman. Plus she seemed to like Margulis.

The police came shortly afterwards and helped us clean up Abel's murder. We put Jin behind bars and he went along silently. He didn't say anything about the Vessels of Anima and neither did we. I used the excuse of Jin wanting Pellegri as the motive as I explained the murder to them. They thanked me and afterwards, Margulis and Pellegri gave me some money for my help. They wondered what Nephilim would do so I decided to keep Nephilim with me seeing that none of us knew where she came from until she got better.

I went back to my office and slowly laid Nephilim on my couch. I sat at my desk and looked out the window. I thought about what Jin had mentioned about the Vessels of Anima. What were they if he wanted to kill them? I couldn't come up with any answers so I should probably wait and ask Nephilim when she comes to. I also thought about if there were any more. If there were, and people were trying to kill them, things would probably get ugly around here if they found out I was housing one for the time being.

After I finished making dinner, it was a couple of minutes later when Nephilim slowly started to come to. I asked her if she wanted anything but she refused anything I offered.

"Well, Nephilim…do you have a home you can go to and be with your parents…?"

She shook her head no. "I don't have any parents…I only had a brother…Abel….and he…"

I already knew what I had to do. "Well, if you don't have anywhere to go, why don't you stay with me?"

"You don't have to go through the trouble…"

I waved off that sentiment with my hand. "Don't worry about it. It's always fun to be with other people than being by yourself."

Nephilim bowed solemnly and said, "Thank you very much, Mrs. Miyuki."

I was a little bit surprised that she was so nice at such a young age. "Just call me Miyuki…" I corrected. I wasn't married but it did remind me of something I didn't want to remember. I didn't want to think about the past right now…names always have a certain impact on the people who have a mysterious but devastating past. Even now, it still hurts to think about it. What you ask? I'm not telling!

I decided to just be blunt with the situation and asked, "So…do you know what a Vessel of Anima is?"

Nephilim shook her head no. "I remember being called that once before when I was with Abel by a big stranger…but Abel said that we weren't and we ran away from him…"

So…I guess it's up to me to figure out what this is all about…the mystery behind the Vessels of Anima.

Someone suddenly started pounding on the door. "Miyuki? Miyuki! It's Shion!"

I quickly went to the door and opened it for my best friend. She fell over and landed on me. She was shaking all over as if she had seen an android go haywire. "What is it, Shion? What's wrong?"

"My brother has just been arrested!"

"For what?" I asked, feeling a little uneasy on where it was going.

"For killing a child at the church!"

My heart had just sunk into the bottom of the ocean. Jin was Shion's brother? How could I not have known? If she found out that I had sentenced her brother to jail…she might…

"My brother was all I had left…" She sobbed. She sniffled for awhile until she went on. "I tried to ask why Jin did all of this but all he kept saying was Anima…"

"I'm really sorry, Shion…" I patted her back slowly to try and calm her down.

She was like this for a couple of hours but she slowly regained her usual composure. I slowly talked to Shion to help her get better about miscellaneous things, from work to whether orange did have something that rhymed with it. We established door hinge. So poets, remember to give me credit for that.

"Well, what are you doing to do now, Shion?" I asked after changing into a new set of clothes. I guess it was kind of awkward to have a wet shirt for my customers much less a friend.

"I think I'll have to work full time at Vector." She admitted. She took a sip of hot chocolate that I had cooked up earlier. "So we might not be able to see each other as much."

"That's alright. They usually let visitors in from time to time though, right?"

"Yeah. That'd be great if you came visited me and see what we've been cooking up for our next project."

"A new project? You're already done with the Robocop?"

"Yeah, KOS-MOS was completed yesterday and they're putting her through test runs today." I was a little interested to see what this new cyber-tech security android could do. After all, the police had decided to stop going to detectives to solve the tough cases. They didn't want to pay detectives since some of their fees were quite ridiculously high. I wasn't like that though. My fees were quite moderate.

So they made a notion to develop a security robot that could work like a detective but was much more efficient. And who other than Vector would design such a model? I heard about it from Shion awhile back but I didn't think they would actually follow through with the plan. Even with these turn of events, I doubt that I'll be put out of work though my workload might be reduced by quite a bit. I'll show them that Miyuki is the best!

"I should probably be going now," Shion said as she looked at her watch. The sun had almost finished setting and the stars were starting to twinkle in the sky. "Thanks for your hospitality, Miyuki and I hope to see you soon." She gave me a quick hug and left. I decided to call it a night before I realized that something seemed out of place. Nephilim wasn't anywhere to be found. Come to think of it, I hadn't seen her since Shion came.

I found a scribbled note sprawled out on the table that read, "Gone to the playground to play with some friends." It was getting late so I decided to see if she was still at the playground. When I arrived, no one was there. It was completely empty. There were no signs that anyone had left as soon as I arrived. I was starting to get a little worried so I started searching the entire playground to see if she was playing hide and seek. Instead, I found a note taped onto one of the swings.

"If you ever want to see your Vessel again, we're going to play a little game to see if you have the guts and the power to save her. Here's your first clue…"

Son of a bitch.


	3. Riddle Me This

**Recap from Miyuki!**

Damnit! Looks like someone stole Nephilim while I was helping Shion recovering from the arrest of her brother Jin, the one I sentenced, to jail. Of course, I didn't tell her or else she'd probably kill me and then go to hell to kill my spirit completely. Anyways, these kidnappers have no clue who they're dealing with!

**Third Case: Riddle Me This**

"The first clue…this riddle shouldn't be hard to do. If you want the next clue, then all you have to do is see my face nearby."

What do they think I am a no brains detective? I looked around for my target and easily found it. I saw a note embedded in the hands. Luckily, it was just as tall as me. I went over and grabbed it out of its hands. It suddenly chimed loudly, almost causing me to fall over.

I kicked the pole in annoyance. "Stupid clock," I muttered. I quickly opened the envelope and read the next clue. "Fires burn and smoke erupts but the smell that ensues is most delightful."

Hm…fire…smoke…good smell. I thought about it for a second and then it clicked. A bit strange for the next place, but time to head to there! If it was this easy, I'll get Nephilim back in no time! I quickly got into a hover taxi and headed to Moby Dick's. Would the clue be in the kitchen? I don't know if I would actually be able to get access by just barging in…I'll think of something when I get there.

I arrived and paid the driver as I got off. He muttered something about me being pretty cute but I ignored it. People like him are nothing but scum! They just want perfect ladies like us for our wonderful bodies; do you know what I mean ladies?

Anyways, I walked inside the restaurant and was greeted by the entrance person. I quickly looked around for a fire extinguisher but I couldn't find one. That's probably where the kidnapper would put it since he most likely didn't work here.

"Pardon the strange question, but where's your fire extinguisher?"

"We don't have a fire extinguisher." The person replied. "We have an automated water system on the ceiling." He pointed up and sure enough, there were the sprinklers. Was I wrong about the clue? I racked my brain trying to think of what else the clue could mean.

"So Miss…will you be taking a table?"

"Ah, sorry," I said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "I wasn't planning to eat here."

"Well, have a good day then. Please come back to see us."

I nodded and then left the restaurant. I felt kind of bad not eating a place I visited but this was an exception. I had to find Nephilim or else she would most likely die like Abel. Could there be more people out to get her like the priest?

I looked around for any sort of stimulus that would help me out. Unfortunately, nothing came to mind. I sat down on a bench nearby and looked at the sky. I suddenly caught a whiff of something that smelled extremely pleasant. I turned to see where the smell came from but the wind had carried it over here to me. Could it be that place?

I quickly ran down the street and found the store at the corner. Fires, smokes, and delightful smells…not of food…but of candles. I found the clue hanging from a thread above a candle that was about to burn off. From a distance, it looked like a decoration but luckily I caught it before it would burn.

I opened the envelope and read the next clue. "Close one, huh? Let's see if your lucky streak will continue. Papers fly as I look at them…so might want to hurry with this clue else it'll blow away!"

Papers that fly as you look at them…I ran a list of things through my mind and quickly discarded each and every idea that came to mind. Either this guy had a lot of time on his hands, or else I was dealing with someone just as smart as I am. That's a really scary thought.

After thinking about it for awhile, I headed to the next target locating. This guy must be pretty genius if he has the potential to create such complex puzzles that even I, the great Miyuki, can't solve in a couple of seconds.

I arrived outside my target location and entered the abandoned building. Supposedly, this abandoned building was where Shion's older brother Jin used to live. She had told me of it earlier before he was arrested. Luckily, it wasn't booked for police. Booked…I crack myself up.

There were a lot of books here and the only library…or somewhat of a library…that I could think of. Now if I were a clue, where would I be hiding…?

I looked thoroughly through the library and found nothing. I figured the kidnapper wouldn't put it inside a book; it would take forever to go through each one and find the clue. I noticed a paper crane on the table and then a gust of wind blew. It flew a short distance and it suddenly came to me.

I opened the paper crane and read, "If you've come this far, then you must be smart so let's take this back all to the start. If you really want your friend back, watch out because there I'm going to attack."

That bastard! He's made me go all throughout town just to end this where it all started? Man, that guy's going to get a good taste of my M.W.S. shocking abilities! I'll fry his brains out for making me do all this work!

I caught a taxi down to the playground where I saw Nephilim sitting on a swing. As I approached her, a red-haired boy walked out with a hand on his hip.

"Are you the one who kidnapped Nephilim?"

He put his hand on his hip and shrugged. "Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not."

"Just what the hell is your problem?" I asked. "Why did you have me run all over town just to end up back here?"

"I was testing you." The red-haired boy replied. "I had to see if you were a Disciple or not."

"A what?"

"Just know that they are our enemies." The boy clenched his fists. "I had to know if you were protecting Nephilim out of concern or if you were going to betray her."

I stomped my foot. "I'd never do that!"

"Well, then. I guess I'll be staying with ya from now on." The boy held out his hand to me. "Name's Rubedo. But I go by Jr."

I slapped it away. "You can't just decide to live with me!"

The boy folded his arms across his chest. "I'm like Nephilim…a Vessel of Anima."

This kid was definitely something else…I could tell that he was a lot more mature than he looks just by his actions. He wasn't shaking from fear if someone was trying to kill him. Everything about him was controlled.

"Just what is a Vessel of Anima? Why are people trying to kill you?"

"We shouldn't talk here. They could be anyone," Jr. said as he looked around.

"Alright, alright." I admitted defeat and held out my hand. "You can stay with me as long as you tell me just what is going on with the Vessels of Anima."

His eyes shone brightly as he shook my hand. "Deal."

-------


End file.
